The Zoo
by aliendroid
Summary: Shino, a werewolf, is new to Konoha, a city ruled by shifters. Being drawn to the town he's not completely surprised when he meets Kiba, a werewolf as well and can't seem to get him out of his thoughts. Just as he gets Kiba to be his, Shino's past comes after him, and Kiba becomes a victim. And he also learns just why his new town is called "The Zoo". ShinoKiba YAOI
1. Chapter 1

_**The Zoo**_

**I've written about demons, vampires, and even magical people (magi), but I haven't done a fanfic for one of my favorite types of supernatural creatures. The shifters. Now this story will contain a variety of shifters with different species and origins. Our main couple though will be two werewolves (because I said so).**

**Plot Bunny: Lycan**

**Plot: Shino, a werewolf, is new to Konoha, a city ruled by shifters. Being drawn to the town he's not completely surprised when he meets Kiba, a werewolf as well and can't seem to get him out of his thoughts. Just as he gets Kiba to be his, Shino's past comes after him, and Kiba becomes a victim. And he also learns just why his new town is called "The Zoo".**

**Rated: M**

**Pairing: ShinoKiba**

**Side Pairings: My usual, plus some odd ones.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto**

_Chapter 1: There's a New Alpha in Town_

Shifters, people born with the ability to shift into the form of an animal. These tribes of people gave rise to the legends of the creatures such as the werewolf. Though the wolf is the only form to make it to modern legends and folklore, there were dozens of different animal forms taken. Cats, both large and small, bears, wild dogs, foxes, and many other forms were the second form of these people.

When shifted, the only noticeable difference between a shifter and its animal counterparts was their size. Double to triple the size of the animal they changed into, it was easy to see why humans feared these tribes.

Legends say that the shifting tribes died out during witch hunts and plagues, but like all legends not everything spoken in tale is true. As they have always been, shifters were great at hiding and adapting to the area and times they found themselves in.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Shino sighed as he placed the last box down, and looked at his new living room. The house wasn't much, just a single story building with one bedroom and bathroom. The reason he'd purchased it out of everything he looked at was because it came with twenty acres of wooded land. Sure he had to drive thirty minutes to get to his new college, but for the peace and quiet the place afforded him, it was well worth it. Plus, he wasn't exactly lacking in funds.

Glancing at the walls he made a note to buy some paint the next time he was in town. The sunshine yellow was not going to cut it. He much preferred a subdued cream or white. The carpet would also need to be replaced, but that could wait for now. It was still manageable. The house was a bit of a fixer upper, but he didn't mind. As long as it got him far away from the city he couldn't care less.

Grabbing one of the boxes beside him, he moved through the cluttered living room and into the kitchen. This was his next project after painting the walls. New tile, it definitely needed new tile. Then the cupboards would have to be replaced. He'd have to buy new appliances as well, the ones that came with the house were old and outdated. The countertops seemed to be in good condition, but he'd still be replacing them.

Setting the box down, Shino removed several pots and pans, before going back into the living room. This was his first time living alone, and it felt odd. His type usually didn't live alone, preferring large groups, or packs. Still, he didn't feel like having too much noise, not after moving out of Kirigakure and away from his ancestral lands.

Reaching for the next box, his hands halted as he heard the approach of someone coming up his drive. His eyes narrowed as he scented the air. He repressed a growl when the scent of another male wolf greeted him. Going to the door, he opened it before his guest could knock.

"You certainly don't seem the friendly type," the man on the other side of the door said. He was tall, he had at least three inches on Shino, who was six foot one inches himself.

"I'm sorry," Shino replied. "I've been moving all day, and am tired."

"No problem," the man smiled. "The names Kisame, Hoshigaki Kisame. Our pack's alpha sent me over to welcome you into the area."

Shino regarded Kisame coldly. "I wasn't aware the area had a formal wolf pack."

Kisame shrugged. "Formal might be the wrong word for it, but we do have one."

Remembering pack etiquette Shino instantly said, "I'm sorry for not introducing myself to the local alpha when I arrived."

Kisame seemed taken aback by the sudden shift. "I just said we aren't a formal pack. No reason to stand on ceremony, Kakashi hates that kind of thing anyways."

Shino raised an eyebrow, "If he's not one for formality, why did he send you to greet me?"

"My you're a sharp one," Kisame laughed. "Well to be honest it most likely wasn't his idea, but his mate's. Iruka can be pretty stubborn about some things. Anyways," the larger wolf inhaled deeply, "We weren't informed you were an alpha."

"Is that going to be a problem?" Shino asked. He'd already ascertained that the one in front of him was an alpha as well.

"Nope," Kisame answered. "Just saying. Anyways, welcome and I look forward to seeing you around The Zoo." Without explaining Kisame turned and left, leaving a confused and perplexed Shino standing in his doorway.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Shino sighed as he parked his truck, and cut off the engine. He'd already purchased the paint and primer he need, plus all the required equipment to paint the living room. Now he was getting some groceries. Though he was picking up food, he was thinking of picking up some takeout at one of the local restaurants. He still had so much to unpack, he didn't have time to cook.

Opening the door, he stepped out, and took a deep breath. Instantly his head tilted toward the direction of the wind. There it was, that scent that had haunted him since he'd first came through this town a year ago. His pack was going on a hunting trip in the mountains not far from Konoha, and they'd stopped in for a break when he'd picked up the same scent. Since then the town had haunted his every waking and sleeping thought. It was so bad that when he was asked where he wanted to attend college he'd applied to the local university. Now that he was here he planned to identify that scent, no matter the cost.

But not now. Turning from the wind, he walked into the grocery store, grabbed a cart, and began heading down the aisle. He needed pretty much everything, so when he came to something he wanted, or knew he liked he grabbed it and put it in the cart. Going by the meat section he was surprised by the high quality available.

"We have a lot of carnivores in this town." Shino looked up at the sound of the voice and looked to his right. There was a woman with pink hair wearing an apron standing in front of him. He also caught the scent of wild dog.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"The reason for the meat selection," the woman explained. "There are a lot of carnivores in this town, so we keep stocked up on the best selections."

"Makes sense," Shino admitted as he grabbed a pack of chicken, steak, pork chops, and a nice salmon. He glanced at the woman again, she was grinning at him. Looking down at her name tag he noted her name was Sakura. "Thank you, Sakura," he said before heading for the next section.

"Welcome to The Zoo!" Sakura called after him.

Shino looked behind him, even more confused. News sure did travel fast in small towns.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Finally home, Mexican takeout in hand, Shino sat down in front of his television and played a documentary he had on disc. As the narrator talked about the honey bee Shino opened the white Styrofoam container and set to eating. He'd already put all the groceries in the kitchen, so he'd be able to have a home cooked meal tomorrow, after painting, but for now this was the best he was willing to do.

He was halfway through his dinner when there was another knock at his door. Irritated, Shino set his meal on the coffee table, and went to answer the door. The second the door was cracked the first thing he registered was the scent. It was intoxicating. With a bit more haste then he intended, he swung the door opened and was met with irritated brown eyes.

"Hi, names Inuzuka Kiba, and my mom told me to come over here and welcome you," Kiba didn't sound all that happy.

Shino looked the other over. Tussled brown hair, puppy brown eyes, and a strong slender frame did wonders for the wolf in front of him. And he was werewolf, the scent was so clear. There were also two tattoos, one on each cheek, of a red triangle.

"Thank you," Shino said, unwilling to let Kiba's foul mood ruin this meeting. "Is that for me?" he indicated the pie tin in Kiba's hand.

"Yeah," Kiba said holding it out to him. "We live just across the street, though you can't see our house through the trees."

That surprised Shino. He hadn't noticed Kiba's scent at all while unpacking. He was annoyed with himself for not noticing, after all it was the scent that had driven him to move to Konoha. "Would you like to come in?" Shino asked, stepping aside.

Kiba looked over Shino's shoulder and shook his head. "Nah, I've got stuff to do. Besides this was my mom's idea. Her name's Tsume by the way, and my sister's Hana."

"Tsume, Hana, and Kiba," Shino could've kicked himself with the way Kiba's named rolled off of his tongue.

The other wolf glared at him, obviously noticing it as well. "Well, don't choke on that pie. Mom's not the greatest cook." Without saying anything else Kiba jumped off the porch and ran down the driveway.

Shino watched him go, a smirk playing across his face. It seemed his reason for coming to Konoha was feisty. _'Should be interesting,'_ Shino thought as he closed the door.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Having gone to bed late, Shino wasn't surprised when he woke up to his second alarm. Pulling himself from bed, he showered, dressed, had a light breakfast, and went outside. Stretching, he loosened up his sleep fogged muscles. Ten minutes later he was jogging down the drive, and out onto the street. He was jogging for five minutes when someone else came running up alongside him.

Looking to his left he smiled at Kiba. The brunet ignored him, and picked up his pace. If Kiba wanted to race, then he was more than willing to give him one. Kiba glared at him as he began to run pace with him.

"You think you're so great," Kiba growled.

"No," Shino replied. "Just good."

"Asshole," Kiba snapped. Increasing his speed, he lunged forward and out of sight into the forest.

Shino suppressed his laughter and continued on down the road. He was finding Kiba extremely entertaining. Continuing on with his jog, Shino continued on down the road until he came to the intersection where it met with the highway. Turning around, he jogged back up the road, two miles passed his house, turned around, and jobbed up to his home. Coming to his porch he jogged in place for a while before stretching and easy his muscles out of the workout.

"Took you long enough." Shino wasn't surprised by the sound of Kiba's voice coming from behind him.

Turning around, he nodded toward his house, "Will you accept the invitation to come in now?"

Kiba glared at him. "I didn't come here to have tea."

"Why did you then?" Shino asked.

Stepping up to Shino, Kiba jabbed a finger at his chest, and growled, "Look, I don't know where you came from, or why you're here."

"To go to school, and I came from Kirigakure," Shino answered cutting Kiba off.

The interruption only seemed to annoy the smaller wolf. "Then why don't you go back? I, we don't need someone like you here! You and that infuriating scent just need to scram!" Having said what he wanted, Kiba turned and left.

Shino watched him go, laughter just below the surface. He wasn't sure what Kiba was trying to say, but all he was doing as making this more interesting for Shino.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

"Heard you had a run in with the Inuzuka pup," Kisame said as he walked into Shino's house later that afternoon.

Shino was in the middle of painting the third wall of the living room. He had paint in his hair, smeared on his cheek, and splattered on his clothes. Despite the way he looked, the walls looked great.

"Kiba has introduced himself," Shino acknowledged as he set the roller down and wiped off his hands.

"He's done more than that from what I've heard," Kisame smirked.

Shino's eyes narrowed. "What have you heard?"

"Third hand information," Kisame shrugged. "Kiba's friend with Naruto, who's dating Sasuke, who's the younger brother of my mate, Itachi. And it's through that twisted route that I heard about your rough introduction."

"The cat stench clinging to you is intentional then?" Shino asked.

Kisame laughed. "Yes. Anyways, sounds like Kiba's got it out for you. I'd be careful. That pup bites, hard."

"Thanks for the warning," Shino tossed the rag aside and moved into the kitchen. "So, why are you here?" he asked as he grabbed two waters, handing one to Kisame.

"Thanks," Kisame said, accepting the drink graciously. "There's a pack meeting tonight, and I've been sent to extend an invitation to the newest wolf in the territory, namely you."

Shino eyed the other wolf. He didn't feel like attending a large gathering. Pack meetings were usually loud, and ended with more than one fight.

Kisame, noticing Shino's reluctance, added, "Kiba will be there."

Interest officially attained, Shino asked, "What time?"

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Kisame had assured him there would be plenty of food at the meeting, so Shino only had a light dinner before getting into his car and heading into town. He'd gotten direction from the other wolf, not like he really needed it though. The city park was in the center of town, and not exactly hard to find. He parked his truck, and got out. The scents of dozens of wolves mingled in the air along with the smells of the town itself.

"You must be Aburame Shino," came a friendly voice from his left. Turning his attention to the owner of the voice he saw warm brown eyes, mocha colored skin, and brown hair. "I'm Umino Iruka," he introduced himself.

Shino noticed the name and gave a shallow bow and exposed his neck to the other. "It's an honor to have the mate of the alpha greet me," he said.

Iruka's eyes widened and he quickly tried to cover up his laughter. "Kisame said you were a polite one," he managed to say. "No reason to be so formal here. Come, you should at least meet Kakashi before things start getting too rowdy."

Shino nodded and followed after the other man. Iruka was easily six foot, but slender in build. As they walked people gave the other male the distance he deserved, but none of them exposed their necks as Shino was familiar with. It seemed this pack did run on different rules than any other he'd come across.

"What are you doing?" Shino's attention was drawn back to Iruka as the man's voice grew hard and menacing. "I thought I told you to leave that at home," Iruka moved to swipe a book from another's hands.

"But, I'm just getting to the good part," the other wolf complained as he dodged Iruka's attempt to claim the book. This new man had silver hair a single piercing eye. The other was covered by an eye patch.

"You should be setting an example for the pups, Kakashi," Iruka growled. Shino's eyes widened. This was Kakashi? The alpha of the Konoha pack? He didn't seem like much.

Kakashi rolled his eye, stood, and slipped the book into his back pocket. "The pups are too busy playing. They're not paying attention to anything I'm doing," he mumbled.

"What?!" Iruka growled.

"Nothing," Kakashi held up his hands and grinned.

Iruka gave the alpha one final glare before turning smiling eyes to Shino. "Sorry you had to see that. This is Hatake Kakashi, the alpha of Konohagakure's wolf pack," he indicated his mate with a jab of his thumb. "If you need anything, please came straight to one of us."

"Yes, thank you," Shino replied politely.

"Kisame wasn't kidding," Kakashi drawled, "You are a stiff one. Well, I guess you can't expect much more than that from Kirigakure."

"Kakashi," Iruka growled a warning.

"What?" Kakashi whined.

As Shino watched he was having a hard time imaging that this submissive laid back man was the one who led this entire pack. Especially when there were so many alphas already within Konoha's borders. Kisame, Kiba, Iruka, and Shino had picked up the scent of at least two more upon arrival. What made this man so special that he could lead so many strong wolves?

"I'm sure you're hungry," Iruka said dragging Shino from his thoughts. "The food is just over there. Please, make yourself at home while you're here."

Shino went to reply politely again, and stopped. "I will," he corrected his words.

Kakashi's eye widened and he quickly stifled laughter as Shino walked away. Shino ignored him. "Oh, and welcome to The Zoo," Kakashi called after him.

Shino looked over his shoulder and back to the pack alpha, confusion hidden behind his sunglasses. That was the third time someone had welcomed him using that phrase. Obviously it meant something, Shino just wasn't sure what.

Putting the thought aside for further investigation later, he looked over the spread. As expected, there were dozens of meat dishes, with very little in the way of vegetables or fruits. There was an array of drinks from juices for the pups running around to alcoholic beverages for the adults. Grabbing a small paper plate, Shino picked up a few items, grabbed a Dr Pepper from the soda selection, and went to lean against a tree as he watched the rest of the gathering.

As usual, pups ran around tackling each other, biting, pulling hair, and laughing. It was good for them, so the parents didn't intervene unless it became too rough. Younger pups, two and younger, remained closer to either their mother or father. They played with others, but never strayed from their parents. The older pups, teens, walked around in small groups, like miniature packs. It was easy to tell which ones had the making of being group leaders based on how the others naturally acted. It seemed that even with a relaxed atmosphere some aspects of pack life couldn't be changed.

"Bored yet?" Kisame asked as he came walking up to him, two others walking behind him.

"Not yet," Shino answered honestly.

Kisame laughed. Moving so the two behind him could be seen, he indicated each as he introduced them, "This Hidan and Kakuzu."

The one called Kakuzu had dark green eyes, and darker skin like Iruka had. But there was something more animal about him than human. Shino's gaze shifted to Hidan. Blond hair and purple eyes made him rare, but there was an obvious danger to him as well. These were the other two alphas he'd noticed upon arrival.

"Aburame Shino," Shino introduced himself.

"So, what's a city boy doing way out here?" Hidan asked.

"I'm attending the university next term," Shino answered, unfazed by the other's brash tone.

"Oh, what'cha studying?" Hidan asked.

"Literature," Shino answered as he took a drink of his soda.

Hidan frowned at the drink. "Why aren't you drinking?"

"I'm underage," Shino replied simply.

The older wolf laughed, "Man, this kid's precious."

"Back the fuck off!" Shino sighed as the signs of the first fight greeted his ears. When he turned to look with the other's his eyes widened at the sight of Kiba standing toe to toe with another.

"Oh come on, we just want to play. Why not enjoy it too, Runt," the other wolf said.

Kiba's lips peeled back as he growled at the second wolf. His brown eyes narrowed, and his teeth lengthened. Shino stepped forward to intercede, but Kisame's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Let go," Shino warned.

"Stepping in isn't going to earn you any points. Besides, our pup can take care of himself," Kisame grinned.

Shino glared at the taller man, but turned back to watch. Kiba shifted his weight so he was light on his feet. The entire crowd could feel the magic of the change growing, and everyone held their breath. Parents had rounded up their kids, and hid them behind them.

"I'm warning you Sakon, back off," Kiba growled.

"Why should I?" Sakon responded. "Runt."

As if that was the dong for a fight, the two shifted and circled each other. Kiba's lithe and muscular human form was replaced by that of a rare Red Wolf standing five feet high at the shoulders. Sakon's grey brown Mexican Wolf markings paled in comparison to the beautiful red-brown of Kiba's lush coat. Though Sakon was the same size, it was easy to tell the difference between the two's power.

Sakon lunged for Kiba, who easily spun around, jumped onto Sakon's back, and wrenched his jaws around the other's neck. Sakon yelped and twisted as he tried to remove the lighter wolf, but Kiba held on. His superior strength and agility allowing him to spring away before Sakon rolled, and then pin him down and retake hold of his neck.

"That's enough," Kakashi ordered as he stepped into the ring of people. "Release him Kiba." A low growl came from the red wolf. Kakashi's eyes narrowed and his teeth elongated. "I said," he snapped, "Release him!"

Kiba whined, and backed down. Two women rushed forward and used a blanket to cover Kiba as he returned to human form. Shino stood in place underneath the tree, shocked to his core. The fight had only lasted two minutes, but Sakon was badly injured. Another wolf that looked identical ran out of the crowd and knelt beside Sakon.

"Ukon," Kakashi directed his attention to the new wolf, "Get you brother to the hospital."

Ukon nodded, gathered his brother up, and rushed him out of the clearing.

"See," Kisame said as he released Shino's arm. "Told you our pup could handle himself."

Shino looked over to Kisame, and noticed the proud smirk on his face. "Why do you call him that?"

"What?" Kisame asked.

"Our pup?" Shino repeated.

"Oh," Kisame frowned. "Well, he's the last true alpha to be born into the pack, and the smallest. The strongest ones to be born lately have all been betas. So he's the alpha pup."

"And runt," Hidan grinned.

"Watch it," Kisame warned the blond. "You know he hates being called that."

"But pup is alright?" Shino asked.

Kisame seemed thoughtful. "Depends on who says it I guess."

Shino narrowed his eyes on the other wolf as he laughed and walked away, his two friends in tow. It seemed that there was quite a lot to learn about this new pack.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Shino walked back to his truck two hours later, exhausted and more than ready to go home. He still had so much to do before class started up in two weeks. For now though, he just wanted his bed, and the quiet of his home.

"Wait." Repressing a growl, Shino turned and was met with a female beta. "You're Shino, right?" she asked.

"I am," Shino acknowledged.

"Oh good," the woman sighed. "I'm Hana, Inuzuka Hana, Kiba's sister. Anyways, I'm sorry Mom and I didn't come over to greet you earlier."

"Don't worry, you two were busy," Shino waved the apology aside.

Hana smiled at him. "I do hope Kiba wasn't too rude last night. He's been so on edge for the last year. We really don't know what's gotten into him."

"He wasn't rude," Shino lied. Kiba had been rude, but he had found the behavior cute so he wasn't going to rat him out.

"That's good," Hana seemed relieved. "Well, I better get going. Have a nice night!" She rushed off to a jeep, stopped midway, and turned. Cupping her hands around her mouth she said, "Welcome to The Zoo!"

_**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

**Okay, first off, if I get an "animal fact" wrong, don't persecute me. These are shifters, not animals, so there will be some differences between them and their animal counterparts. Don't like it? Don't care. On a happier note, yay! The first chapter is done! I've been wanting to write this for so long! Now tha-**

**Voice: Well, we hope you enjoyed the first cha-  
Me: Hey, don't interrupt my ending note!  
Voice: You weren't going to shut up if I didn't. Besides, the first chapter isn't that great.  
Me: Wha-  
Voice: You heard me. Barely anything happened. It's boring.  
Me: O.O WAAAAAAAAAAH!  
Voice: *rolls eyes* Baby.**

**Please Review!**

**Next Chapter: **_**Why's it Called The Zoo?**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Zoo**_

**Thank you everyone for your kind responses! I'm glad you liked the first chapter! =^.^= Sorry this is a bit late, but my shoulder was sore after getting my new tattoo so I took a break from typing. Now, let's get this chapter going!**

**Plot Bunny: Lycan**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto**

_Chapter 2:_ _Why is it Called The Zoo?_

Shino woke up to the smell of coffee wafting through his home. Grumbling, he got up, grab some clothes from his dresser, and ambled into the bathroom. Five minutes later he was out wearing a pair of track sweats and a black t-shirt. Heading for the kitchen, he grabbed a mug from his cupboard, and filled it with the strong black liquid. He added two scoop of sugar, and wondered into his living room. Powering up his laptop, he sat back into his couch and sipped at his coffee.

As he sat there, scanning through his email, his eyes narrowed on one specific message. Knowing what it most likely said, he opened the message and read through it. As he suspected, it was from the Kirigakure second. He asked if Shino was enjoying his home, but also stressed to not become too comfortable. Without a reply, Shino deleted the message and pulled one up from his editor.

_Dear Aburame-sensei,  
I'm just writing to remind you that your next manuscript is due in two months. And your next book signing is scheduled for next month over the weekend, to accommodate your class schedule. Please let me know if there is anything you need.  
Shiho_

Sighing, Shino pulled up the reply screen, attached the finished manuscript, and pressed send after confirming the book signing. He hated making public appearance as S.M. Wolf. But it couldn't be helped. His last novel had sold at the top of the genre, and the sequel was in great demand. Thankfully the plot had been pretty basic and Shino had managed to get it done ahead of schedule.

Emails checked and replied to, coffee gone, and his mind alert enough to start the day Shino stood, placed the mug in the kitchen, and left the house. Stretching, Shino loosened up his muscles. He'd been in Konoha for five days now, and the morning runs were most definitely his favorite part of the day so far.

Sprinting down the drive, and turning left down the road he wasn't surprised when that familiar scent drifted to him. He hid is pleasure at Kiba's presence as the smaller wolf came up alongside him. They jogged in silence for several minutes before the scent of irritation joined the air.

"Something wrong?" Shino asked without glancing toward Kiba.

"No," Kiba snapped.

Shino lifted an eyebrow. "You certainly don't seem like nothing's wrong."

Kiba glared at him, his brown eyes narrowed. "It has nothing to do with you.

"I disagree," Shino replied. "Your mood is making it hard for me to ignore."

That made Kiba falter. Shino spun around, prepared to catch Kiba, but the smaller wolf easily corrected himself. The two stood face to face, tension building in the air around them. Kiba moved first. Stepping forward he leaned in and stood on his toes until his mouth was directly next to Shino's ear.

"I don't care," Kiba whispered before nipping at Shino's neck and pulling away. With a light in his brown eyes that had Shino returning the look, Kiba turned and sprinted out of sight.

Shino stood in place, his mind frozen on the feel of Kiba's lips brushing his ear and his teeth nipping at his neck. A shiver traveled through him. He wasn't sure what Kiba's game was, but if he wasn't careful Shino was going to make his move.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

The living room was repainted, the kitchen's appliances had been replaced, the cupboards were redone, and the counters were updated. Shino felt like he'd done more in the past five days than in his entire life. He was glad he'd gotten his work done before moving. He couldn't imagine writing with all of this to do on his plate.

Now that the main repairs and renovations were done Shino was pleased with the results. It felt much more inviting to him. Just getting rid of that god awful yellow had improved the feel of the house greatly. Now if only he could get Kiba inside the house.

Lost in thought on how he could succeed in inviting Kiba into his home, he didn't catch the scent of Kisame approaching until he was on his front porch.

"You know, for a wolf you get caught off guard a lot," Kisame drawled.

"I've been busy," Shino stated as he moved out of the kitchen and placed his lunch on the coffee table in front of his couch. "There's some drinks in the fridge if you want one."

"Thanks," Kisame nodded and moved into the house.

Kisame had been a regular visitor at Shino's over the past couple of days. Shino was so use to his presence that he no longer minded the scent of cat that followed Kisame everywhere. After the meeting he'd come over to help with the new appliances, along with several other pack members. After that he came over just to chat. Now, Shino glanced over to the larger wolf, he wasn't sure why he was there, but something told him it wasn't a casual visit.

"So," Shino sighed as he pulled up a file on his computer, "What do you want?"

Kisame paused in bringing the can of soda to his mouth. Sighing, he took a drink, and walked across the living room so he was sitting next to Shino. "What do you think of pizza?" he suddenly asked instead of answering him.

Shino regarded the other wolf, a quizzical look in his eyes. "It's pizza, who doesn't like it," he answered.

Kisame grinned and nodded. "Good point. Okay, so you'll meet us at Fire Pizza?"

Shino looked at Kisame, a blank expression in his eyes. He felt like this conversation was going in circles. "Why?" he asked.

"Some friends of mine are getting together, and I thought it would be a great chance for you to meet some of the people you'll be going to school with," Kisame explained.

"Is this required?" Shino asked.

"Not unless you want to be dragged there," Kisame answered nonchalantly.

Shino hid his surprise. He couldn't tell if Kisame was serious about that or not. Not wanting to be dragged anywhere, he sighed. "What time?"

Kisame grinned. "Six o'clock. I'll send you the directions to the place. Oh, and don't worry about bringing any money, unless you want to play a game." With that Kisame left.

Shino was left feeling as he always did when Kisame came over, confused and slightly drained. He didn't know what it was with that wolf, but he seemed content to just pull him into nearly everything he could think off.

"Too late to complain now," Shino said as he stood and moved to his room. If he was going to go to a pizzeria to meet people he might as well get dressed more appropriately. At the moment he was wearing torn jeans with paint stains, an oversized shirt, and no shoes. It wasn't exactly his best outfit.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Kiba frowned at his cell. Naruto had just sent him a text with the time and place for the get together. It wasn't that he didn't want to go, hell he loved these kind of things, but he just didn't feel up to it today. _'It's that bastard Shino's fault,'_ Kiba decided.

Placing his phone back on the desk, he reached for the book he'd been reading. Normally he wasn't much of a reader, but this author was just too good to pass up. He first started reading S.M. Wolf's work in middle school. Now, just before entering his first term as a college student, he's read every single book ever written by the man. He truly loved his fluid and easy to understand writing method. Plus the subject matter was also interesting.

Normally, as a shifter, books about werewolves just bored him. He was the real thing after all, reading about fictional monsters thought up through the imagination of humans didn't do it for a lot of shifters. Kiba in particular wanted to know who thought up the grotesque humanoid wolf that transformed only under the light of a full moon. He had to be smoking something to come up with that. Sure they transformed against their will under a full moon, but it was into their animal form, not a human animal hybrid.

S.M. Wolf's books didn't have the large humanoid figures. Instead he kept to the original myths of skin walkers and shape shifters. The moon held some hold over these people, but for the most part it wasn't a huge issues. There were some facts wrong, but that was to be expected as the writer was only human.

Flipping the page, Kiba read. He was on the last chapter of the latest in the Artic Pack series. The main thread of all the books was about the alpha of an Alaskan pack working as the sheriff of a small town. The stories all mixed supernatural elements with the mystery of a crime novel. They were all page turners, and Kiba couldn't get enough of them.

"Are you reading, again?" Hana asked as she opened his door.

Kiba looked over to his sister. "You used to harass me to read, now you're complaining that I'm reading. You don't make any sense."

Hana arched an eyebrow at her baby brother, but decided to ignore the sarcastic remark. "Mom wants to know if you will be going to the pizzeria with the others," she stated.

"Yeah, I'm going," Kiba answered instantly.

He was feeling better after reading a bit. Besides, there was no way Shino was going to be there.

A mocking smirk came to mind. Shaded eyes blocked all view of his full expression. And a scent that sent his head spinning. All of it combined to make a man that Kiba found both intoxicating and infuriating. He had never been so irritated by the mere presence of another. Just having Shino beside him was enough to make him snap.

This morning had been a perfect example of that. He couldn't even imagine what had caused him to act like that. Still, he had done it. And now he was regretting it. His actions could almost be seen as flirting!

"Are you okay?" Hana's voice cut through Kiba's thoughts, drawing him back to reality. "You're making an odd face…Oh I know, you're thinking about Shino."

An irritated growl was Hana's answer.

Smirking she walked into the room and sat on Kiba's bed. "Want to talk about it?" she asked.

"No," Kiba answered instantly, moving the book to shield his face from his sister's searching gaze.

Hana hid her amusement at Kiba's stubbornness. "You know, he's really nice if you just stop to give him a chance."

The dark look Kiba shot her over the top of the book had Hana shivering. Standing up, she left the room.

Kiba followed her with his eyes, pupils narrowed. What did she know about what he was going through? It wasn't like she had to deal with this. Hell, she was probably enjoying seeing him suffer over this.

"Stupid sister," Kiba mumbled as he rolled over, book still in hand.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Shino released a satisfied sigh as he straightened out and looked over his yard. Having nothing else to do until he had to head into town he had decided to do some yard work. After hours of mowing, trimming, and raking his front yard looked great. As he looked around, he decided to pick up some flowers and boxes for the front porch. Something low maintenance, but that would attract the local insect life and birds.

"A bird feeder would probably be a good idea," Shino noted as he looked at the many trees that were scattered about his property. He'd trimmed back a few of the limbs that were getting dangerously close to the house, but for the most part he left them alone. He liked the privacy the trees afforded him.

As he looked around at the job he'd done, he caught the scent of several people approaching. "Wow," a low whistle was heard before he spotted two women walking down his drive, "You certainly have been hard at work."

Shino noted that one of the women was Inuzuka Hana, Kiba's sister. The other looked remarkably similar to Kiba, just older and female. It was the older that had spoken, and judging by how she was sizing him up she definitely had a purpose to her visit.

"I believe in keeping things neat," Shino stated in response to her previous comment.

"Understandable," the older wolf said. Looking him straight in the eye she smiled and said, "I'm Tsume, Inuzuka Tsume."

"Aburame Shino," Shino responded politely. Despite the fact this woman was a beta there was something about her that had him on edge. A sort of underlying danger.

"Yeah, Hana's said you're a polite one," Tsume continued. "Strange how that boy would be so upset over you."

That caught Shino off guard. "Excuse me?"

"My son, Kiba," Tsume explained. "For reasons I can't understand he's extremely upset over you. So I figured I might as well come over here and see what has my boy so wound up. But there's nothing special about you."

"Mom!" Hana scolded. "Ignore her. She's use to speaking her mind."

"I don't mind," Shino waved the remark aside. "I'm sorry Kiba's so upset, but I have nothing but … the best of intentions in regards to him."

Hana and Tsume's eyes widened. They hadn't missed the underlying meaning of his words.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Kiba cursed under his breath as he sat at a table in the pizzeria. He had arrived with Gaara and Neji twenty minutes ago, and his mood hadn't improved any. How dare his mother scold him like some pup! His issue with Shino had nothing to do with her, she had no right going behind his back to speak to him.

"_Give the guy a chance. He's a respectable young man," Tsume had bit out. _

"_This has nothing to do with you!" Kiba responded._

"_You moping around like a love sick dog is my business," Tsume retorted._

'_Love sick my ass,'_ Kiba grumbled as he stood up to get a drink. He couldn't believe his mother had made such a ridiculous comparison. To add insult to injury his sister had taken their mother's side.

"You sure look ready to tear someone to pieces." Kiba growled and turned to look at Kisame. "Anyone I know?" the larger wolf asked.

"What are you talking about?" Kiba demanded as he took a drink.

"The reason for your present mood, who caused it?" Kisame restated his question.

"My mom," Kiba answered as he turned to go back to his seat.

"Yo! Kiba!" Kiba turned and smiled at the blond that had come rushing into the warm building. "Want to play air hockey?" Naruto asked, a bright smile showing on his features.

"Ready to get beaten?" Kiba asked, already moving toward the games.

"That's what you should ask yourself," Naruto retorted.

"Dobe, don't get too carried away!" a man with black hair and black eyes shouted after them.

"No promises Teme!" Naruto shouted back to Sasuke.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and went in search of his brother, who was busy ordering dozens of pizzas at the front counter and drinks. "Is he coming?" Sasuke asked as he reached the other panther.

"Who?" Itachi asked as he handed Sasuke a cup.

"That new wolf," Sasuke responded as he got himself some Sprite.

"According to Kisame he is," Itachi answered calmly.

"He'll be here," Kisame said walking up to them and wrapping his arms around Itachi's waist. Leaning down he kissed his neck, "Need any help?"

"No," Itachi answered swiftly. "Go play with the others."

Kisame laughed. Kissing Itachi again, he headed off toward the next bunch of people to arrive. They threw this gathering twice a year. Once before school started up, and the second time was after the New Year. Shifters of every age were welcome, though usually it was just the ones between 15 and 26 to show. Shifters kept firm control of their young until 15 for safety reasons, and usually anyone older than 26 were too busy with work or their own families to attend. But sometimes a few did show. Like tonight both Kakashi and Iruka were present.

Kiba was deep in concentration on beating Naruto at their third air hockey game when he caught his scent. The door opened, carrying that deep earthy aroma to him. Instantly his body reacted. Looking up, he searched out the source. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Shino standing next to Kisame. A low growl built up in his chest as the older wolf patted Shino on the back.

"Kiba?" Naruto called, gaining his attention. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kiba bit out. "I'll be right back."

"Glad you could make it," Kisame grinned as Shino walked over to him. He reached up and patted the smaller wolf on the back. "I was afraid you'd back out."

"Why?" Shino asked blankly.

"Because, Kiba's here," Kisame answered.

"I know," Shino said calmly.

He'd recognized Kiba's scent as soon as he pulled into the parking lot. When he'd walked into the building it was the first thing he registered, even before the scent of cooking dough, beer, and leather. Now that he'd had a chance to take it all in, he caught the scents of dozens of others. There were wolfs, wild dogs, and foxes, but more than that there were cats. Lots of cats.

"Oh," Kisame's voice dragged Shino from his thoughts. "This is Itachi," he indicated a slender man with black hair and onyx eyes. His scent was identical to that of the one that clung to Kisame. Now that Shino saw him up close he was amazed by his appearance. Tall and elegant he definitely fit the image of a feline. But there was power hidden beneath the calm exterior. "Itachi," Kisame pulled the panther to him, "This is Shino."

Itachi looked him directly in the eye, and smirked. "I can see why Kiba is so caught up," he said.

"What would you know?" Kiba snapped breaking the three out of the conversation. "I'm not caught up in anything."

"Sure, sure," Itachi walked away, his eyes hiding a playful smile.

Kiba turned his brown eyes to the new arrival. He bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep himself in check long enough to say, "What are you doing here? I thought it was Pride members only?"

Shino's eyes widened at the mention of a Pride. Looking around a second time he took in exactly how many of the large cats around them were in fact lions. The majority of those in attendance were lions.

"He's a resident of Konoha, so he's a member of the Pride," Kisame reasoned. "Besides, I thought he'd like to meet everyone before the semester started."

Kiba bit back a growl and stalked back to a worried looking fox. Shino noted that another panther was standing beside the blond fox. There were also tigers, bears, wild dogs, more foxes, and cougars present. He had never seen such an assortment of shifters in one place before. Many of the tribes presented hated mingling with others. It was almost like he was in some city zoo.

Shino's eyes widened.

"_I look forward to seeing you around The Zoo," Kisame waved._

"_Welcome to The Zoo!" Sakura said._

"_Oh, welcome to The Zoo," Kakashi called._

"_Welcome to The Zoo," Hana shouted._

'_This is what they meant,'_ Sino realized.

The population making up Konoha was just like that of a zoo. So many species that would never usually come in contact were situated together. This town was just like that. There were dozens of tribes present in this town, all of which would never speak to one another under normal circumstances. Even more shocking, it seemed many were in an inter-tribe relationship.

"Surprised?" Kisame asked, drawing Shino from his thoughts.

"You could say that," Shino answered still looking around.

"Konoha's a bit unique," Kisame said as he led Shino to a table. "Due to the founder's odd personality it's become a refuge for all shifters. Over time we've just come to call it The Zoo."

"Why did Kiba mention a Pride?" Shino asked as he sat down and accepted a drink and slice of sausage pizza.

Kisame looked at the other wolf, obviously weighing his options on how to explain this to him.

"Because Konoha is in the center of the Western Pride lands. Our mayor, Tsunade, is the mate of the leader of all the Prides in the area," Itachi explained as he walked over to them. "If you live here you're considered a member of the Konoha Pride, whether you're a lion or not."

"But, Konoha has a wolf pack," Shino was trying to make sense of the situation.

"That's a formality," Kisame sighed. "We're actually in the minority around here. Tsunade lets the pack stay intact because she recognizes our need for it. But ultimately it's considered a minor group within the Pride, just like all the others."

Shino absorbed the information provided to him. It seemed he'd moved to a rather interesting town.

As the night went by, Shino spent most of it talking with Itachi and Kisame. He learned a bit about the town's history and how so many different tribes had come to live there. Mostly though they talked about random mundane topics. Kisame was obviously overly attached to his feline mate. He constantly kept him within either arm's reach, or when he had to get up he kept him within his line of vision. He noticed a similar behavior amongst the other formed pairs in the group.

Of course Shino couldn't say he was completely innocent. He'd situated himself in such a way that he could see Kiba in the arcade section playing games with two foxes. One was the blond from earlier and the other was a redhead. Sasuke, Itachi's brother, was the panther he'd noticed with Naruto, the blond fox. The redhead was Gaara, according to Kisame, and the tiger staying close to him was Neji.

"If you keep staring at him he'll pick a fight with you." Shino turned to look at a man with broad shoulders and brown hair. Despite his size he was a fox. "Kiba's been rather untamable for years."

"What makes you think I want to tame him?" Shino asked.

Dark green eyes widened. Laughing, the fox took a seat opposite Shino and nodded to Kisame as he got up to chase after Itachi. "Simple, the way you look at him," the other answered.

Shino's eyes narrowed. He didn't even know who this guy was and he was talking to him like an old friend. Shino found it slightly annoying.

"Kankuro!" Kiba's voice rang out over the large crowd of people enjoying pizza, drinks, games, and the company of everyone. The wolf came bounding over to them, a glare fixated on his face. "What are you doing?"

"Talking to the new face," Kankuro answered with a warm smile.

Kiba growled at him. "Don't cause trouble, or I'll call Sai." Without another word, Kiba turned and headed back to his friends.

Shino watched him go, his eyes drawn to Kiba's backside. "Who is Sai?" he asked.

"My mate," Kankuro sighed as he grabbed a slice of peperoni and cheese. "He had to work tonight, but should be by later."

Turning his attention to Kankuro, Shino asked, "What kind of relationship do you have with Kiba?"

Kankuro paused in grabbing another slice of pizza. Sitting back he released a strained breath. "Well, that little redhead over there is my younger brother. So I know him through Gaara," Kankuro answered. Shino nodded, accepting that. "Also," Kankuro paused, "We use to date."

_**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

**Kiba has an ex? And it's Kankuro! How does this affect things?**

**Voice: But, Kankuro's mated. So it shouldn't be an issue. Right?  
Me: =^.^=  
Voice: What do you have planned?  
Me: =^.^=  
Voice: …You are really starting to freak me out.**

**Please Review!**

**Next Chapter: **_**Konoha University**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**The Zoo**_

**I have no excuse for why this is so late, except I'm lazy, my puppy scared me into thinking he might have parvo, and I was watching Fairy Tail. I also just started school back up.**

**Plot Bunny: Lycan**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto**

_Chapter 3: Konoha University_

Early mornings were always better after a rainstorm. The fresh scent of earth that permeated the air, the chill of the morning dew on bare feet, and the feel of the gentle breeze all combined to make the experience intoxicating. It was mornings like this one that Shino preferred to shed his human form and run through the woods as a wolf. Fortunately, he no longer lived in the city and every one of his neighbors were shifters.

Stepping off of his back porch, naked, Shino allowed the magic of the change to wash over him. Soon a black Arctic wolf, towering eight feet at the shoulders, stood behind the small house. Yellow eyes scanned the surroundings before the powerful beast leapt into the air, landed softly on the moist grass, and ran into the forest. Despite his size in beast form, Shino's foot falls made very little sound as he raced through the trees.

Weaving around the ancient trunks, the wolf maneuvered easily within the dense forest. His nose was keen to any approaching visitors. His eyes were focused forward, keeping his attention on the path he was taking. When he caught the scent of deer he veered off in their direction. He didn't feel like hunting, but the chase would be invigorating regardless. The scent was growing stronger and stronger, when suddenly another scent blew toward him on the wind.

Shino halted, his nose instantly going into the wind. A low rumbling growl radiating from his chest as the scent registered. Springing off in the direction of the scent, the wolf ran quickly through the woods. He caught sight of red fur racing ahead of him through the trees soon, and he made short work of catching up to the smaller wolf. Jumping out in front of the red wolf, Shino barked cockily.

Ears standing straight up, fur bristled, and teeth bared Kiba growled at the larger wolf. In their beast forms Kiba was about half the size of Shino. Still, the smaller wolf didn't back down, in fact he seemed even more spurred on than before.

Shino titled his head to the side. Hoping to make Kiba less hostile, he wagged his tail and crouched down. Yellow eyes narrowed and red ears drew back against his head as Kiba watched Shino suspiciously. Shino yipped causing Kiba to jump back, startled. Cautiously, the black wolf took a step toward the red one. Instinctively, the smaller wolf stepped back as the other grew closer. One step forward, one step back, this cautious dance continued for quite some time until Shino became bored with it. Reaching out, he smacked Kiba's nose with his paw. An irritated sniff left the red wolf before he lunged for the black wolf.

The two danced around each other, nipping and barking. Kiba would dash off and Shino would give chase. When he caught him the tables would turned and it was Kiba that would chase Shino. Tag quickly spiraled into a wrestling matching between them. Soon, Shino had Kiba pinned beneath him.

The two wolves, panting from their exercise, gazed into the others eyes. Unconsciously, Shino leaned down and nuzzled his muzzle against Kiba's. Drawing back, he licked the smaller wolf's nose. Kiba jerked, and with surprising strength, pushed out from under Shino. A querying yip left Shino has he tried to step toward him. Kiba's ears pressed against his head and he let out a frightened whimpered. Shocked, Shino couldn't move as the smaller wolf dashed out of sight.

Unable to understand what had just happened, Shino slowly made his way back to his house. When the building was in sight he began to shift back into his human form. It always felt wrong turning back into a human, but he suspected that was because the animal form was the true appearance of their kind. Reaching for the door, he walked inside, and went straight to his shower. Stepping under the warm spray he tried to rid his mind of the frightened sight and sound of Kiba. It didn't work.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Kiba panted as he shifted from wolf to human and raced into his house. He bypassed his mother and sister and went straight to his room. Slamming the door behind him, he leaned against the solid barrier, his arms wrapped around him. That hadn't happened. This wasn't happening. He'd sworn he wouldn't let it happen. So why, why was it so easy for Shino to draw him in? Why was he always so easily drawn to him? He's an alpha, he should be able to resist this.

Tears of frustration shined in Kiba's brown eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He'd cried enough over that bastard. For one year he'd suffered. He wasn't that weak.

"Kiba," Tsume's concerned voice drifted through his door. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kiba answered, but he knew she wouldn't believe him with the broken tone of his voice.

"What happened?" Tsume demanded.

Kiba could almost laugh. As if she couldn't smell Shino on him. They'd been pressed so closely together it would be impossible not to smell him.

"Nothing happened, I'm fine," Kiba replied. Despite what his voice said, he was fine. Shino hadn't hurt him. They'd only played. Well except at the end when Shino had…

'_Oh just admit it!' _Kiba yelled at himself. _'He kissed me.'_

Kiba's arms wrapped tighter around himself, drawing Shino's scent into his nose. As the earthy aroma filled him Kiba's body began to shake. Maybe he wasn't strong enough to resist this. Finally the tears that had threatened to spill came forth. He tried his best to stifle the sobs.

"Kiba, what did Shino do?" Tsume asked gently through the door.

"Nothing!" Kiba snapped. "Just go away. I'm fine."

It was a moment before he heard his mother's footsteps, but he relaxed when he knew she'd left. He didn't want her to see him like this, weak with uncertainty.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

By the time Shino had gotten out of the shower he'd managed to get some control over himself. He was still slightly raddled over Kiba's reaction, but he was calm. Besides, despite his worry over the smaller wolf, he needed to get ready for class. Though he only had two classes today, and both were afternoon classes, he still wanted to walk around the campus a bit. He already knew where his classes where, but there was still plenty of the campus he hadn't seen.

Finished dressing, he was wearing darker straight legged jeans and a navy blue turtleneck, he grabbed his book bag, laptop bag, and headed for his truck. Making sure to lock up before leaving, he got into his vehicle, and drove toward town.

Konoha University was comprised of several large brick buildings, and a couple newer smaller ones built recently to accommodate increased attendance. Pathways connected the buildings with gardens of local plant-life lining them. Green lawns sprawled out passed the pathways where benches and tables were situated for outdoor studying and eating. Trees also dotted the campus.

Shino had to admit, for one of the area's oldest colleges, it was a great place. Forward thinking and advancement were top priorities, but they also valued the past. It was a well-balanced system.

Parking his truck at the east lot, Shino climbed out, and headed for the display map. Reading the layout of the campus was simple, and he quickly found the directions to the building he wanted. As he walked down the paths he scented the air, and noticed that like at the pizzeria there were dozens of different tribes present at the school. There were also plenty of students about as class were officially in full swing starting today.

Despite the numerous new scents he did notice one, and it was coming toward him. "Hey, you're here early," Kisame waved as he came alongside him.

"I have some things to deal with at the student services building," Shino said as he continued on toward his destination. "After that, I thought I'd grab something to eat while I do some research."

Kisame gaped at the younger shifter. "You haven't even been to class yet and you've already got a project?"

Shino shook his head. "No, this is a personal matter."

"Oh," Kisame glanced at the other, but Shino didn't say anything else on the matter. Shrugging, he changed topics, "So, have you seen Kiba lately?"

Instantly Shino tensed. "You could say that," he whispered.

Kisame caught the hesitation in his voice. Grabbing his shoulder, Kisame stopped Shino from walking further. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Shino answered as he dislodged his arm from Kisame's grasp. "It has nothing to do with you anyways."

"Wrong," Kisame growled. "If you've forgotten, let me remind you that Kiba is our last alpha. He means a lot more to our pack than you can imagine. So get this straight, if you hurt him you'll be dealing with everyone."

Shino's eyes narrowed. "I would and could never hurt him. The fact you suggest it makes me sick," he snapped. "As for what happened, that's between Kiba and me."

"Exactly." The two spun around, stunned to see Kiba standing behind them. "Stay out of this Kisame, and tell that to the rest of the pack. This is my problem. I'll deal with it myself."

Kisame looked between the two younger wolves, and sighed. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he had a pretty good idea of it. And if it was what he was thinking than it really wasn't any of his business. "Fine, but if this gets out of hand we'll step in," he warned.

"Just try it," Kiba growled.

Shino remained silent, he was still stunned to see Kiba standing before him considering how he'd ran off this morning. The brunet's angry tone was also helping to hold him back from doing something really stupid, like reaching out for him. It was obvious from his earlier reaction that he did not appreciate physical contact with a deeper meaning. Instead he held still, his hands clenched tightly at his side.

Kisame rolled his eyes and walked away. He wasn't going to stick his nose where it wasn't wanted, or needed. This was Kiba's problem. And though he liked Shino, it was obvious that this wasn't something he could help either with. At the same time he wasn't going to stand quiet if this turned into a serious issue. Kiba was pack, Shino was an outsider regardless of residence. If it came down to it, Shino would be the one expelled from the city.

Shino watched as Kisame walked away. When the older wolf was out of sight he turned his attention to the smaller wolf before him. Kiba seemed completely at ease, not even a single trace of his fear from earlier could be seen. The indifference bothered Shino more than that fear had.

"Kiba," Shino stepped forward, chancing the rejection of the other.

"Stay put," Kiba growled. He didn't take a step back, but he wasn't making a move to advance either. It was like he'd taken a neutral position and was challenging Shino to change that.

Shino rose to the silent challenge. Stepping forward again, he reached out and touched a piece of Kiba's spiky brown hair. He was pleased to see a slight widening to the smaller wolf's eyes. "Why did you run?" he asked softly.

Kiba swatted Shino's hand away. Looking at him with irritation he stepped forward. "You of all people must know what I went through this past year. And yet you act like it means nothing for us to stand in front of each other," Kiba growled menacingly. "Are you so cold that you would push me like this?"

Surprise and confusion shined in Shino's eyes and reflected in his scent. He had no idea what it was the other was talking about. "I don't follow you," he said. "What exactly is it you're accusing me of?"

Kiba's eyes narrowed. In a swift motion, he gripped the front of Shino's shirt and dragged him forward until they were only inches apart. "You bastard!" he snapped. "Are you saying you felt nothing? That leaving me here alone was simple? I should tear you apart!"

The more Kiba talked the more confused Shino grew. None of this was making any sense to him. "I don't understand," was all he could say in response to Kiba's heated words.

Hurt, pain, and betrayal flashed in Kiba's eyes only to be replaced by pure emptiness. "I see," he whispered. Releasing Shino he stepped away from him. "So, you feel nothing. Either now or one year ago. Nothing."

"Wha-"

"We have nothing else to say," Kiba mumbled and walked away, leaving a stunned Shino standing alone.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Kiba tapped his pencil on his book over and over. He didn't know why he expected the first day of college to be any different than the first day of high school, but he was quickly finding them to be identical. Review of what the term will be about, syllabus, and a quick lecture introducing the text. It was really entirely structured. The only plus side he could find was that the teacher seemed fun. She was energetic about the topic, and was entirely willing to bring the students into the conversation.

Despite the energy of Kurenai-sensei he couldn't get into the first lesson, and he knew why. His grip tightened on his pen as the sound of Shino's confused and lost voice drifted to his mind. It was infuriating. Did he really know nothing? Was this past year of misery really one sided? Was that why he hadn't come to him instantly upon arriving back in town?

'_He doesn't know,'_ Kiba admitted as pain tore through his chest. _'He doesn't know.'_

"Kiba?" Kiba looked up to see Kurenai standing over him, a worried expression in her red eyes. "Are you alright?"

"What? Of course I am," Kiba answered, confused by the question.

Kurenai appeared hesitant. "Then, why are you crying?"

Kiba's eyes widened, and his hand went to his face. His fingers came away wet. He was crying. "I, must have gotten something in my eyes," he said quickly as he wiped at his face. "Perhaps a piece of eraser."

Kurenai looked down to his desk, her eyes settling on the loan pen sitting atop his notebook. "I guess so," she nodded and stepped away. Going back to the front of the room she smiled at the class and continued the lesson.

Grimly, Kiba wiped away the last of his tears, and set to the task of taking notes. He wouldn't allow his emotions to be moved in such a way. If Shino felt nothing for him, than he would feel nothing as well. It took two for what he wanted, but he wasn't going to force what so obviously wasn't there.

_xXx The Zoo xXx_

Shino was in the campus café, a Carmel mocha and breakfast burrito in front of him. He had his laptop on and was presently signing into an exclusive website. If you typed in the URL you would be brought straight to a login page, with nothing but a place to enter your userID and password. Going beyond that page without access was near impossible. It was a website dedicated the history and records of the many tribes of the shifters. It contained everything pertaining to their diverse race including laws, medical aliments that could affect them, traditions, and the few legends they believed in.

Quickly logging in, Shino went straight to the medical section and began to scroll through the small list. Twenty minutes of reading later had him coming up empty. Frowning, Shino glanced at the other options available to him. Their laws wouldn't be able to help him. He knew all of the shifters' traditions and he thought he knew all of the legends. Still it was his only option.

Clicking on the tab, the menu dropped down and he searched through each one. The final one he came to was the legend of mates, though he was unsure why it was still considered a legend. There were plenty of recorded cases of mates within their ranks. Clicking on it, Shino began to read the one article on the site he'd never bothered looking at.

_When darkness had not yet fallen on the clans of our ancestors they lived in the light. With many of their own kind available it wasn't hard to find a suitable partner. But, it was during this time that the spirits ruling over all granted our ancestors with a gift, a gift that would ensue the healthy continuation of our people._

_Tribes were falling to illness and weakness. The cause of the failure in strength and numbers as the increase in inbreeding amongst tribe members. War torn and mistrustful of others many tribes would not send for fresh seed. Due to the tight control they were growing weaker with each generation. Then one day, a bright light lit up the skies and a voice spoke to the tribes._

"_I shall grant you the key to your salvation. From this day forth each of you will have but one that can move your hearts. One that will not be bound to you by blood. Go, find that one and make a stronger future."_

_It was this moment that gave birth to the mating bond. With it the Spirit had no doubt hoped to damn the continuous flood of battles between the tribes, and it worked for a while. But as shifters were just as much human as they are animal jealousy and greed could only be halted for so long. Soon the tribes were warring amongst themselves again._

_As the tribes began to fight the Spirit wept, and with her tears came the first threads of pain within the mated pairs. As the pain grew more intense her voice once again rang out across the heaves._

"_You have denied the gift I gave. Now I curse your kind to eternal torment until you can recognize what it is I have given. Suffer in your ways! Burn in the fire you have stoked! But know, if you wish a true connection, it will be there if only you would reach out for it."_

_The Spirit's hard taught lesson was lost, but her gift still remains with the pain her tears spread. Now when one finds their mate they feel a suffering longing that can only be calmed by the other's presence. Should the bond be ignored a deeper and more cruel emotion will emerge. Mates would come to hate each other._

Shino sighed as he logged out and closed down his computer. Now he knew why he hadn't read the legend. It was ludicrous. The mating bond was basically the human equivalent of a soul mate, nothing more.

"_We have nothing else to say."_ Kiba's voice, broken and torn, pierced through him like a knife to his very soul.

Closing his eyes, Shino tried to rid himself of the image of Kiba turning from him, eyes filled with pain. It hurt to think of Kiba in that much pain. He couldn't deny that he'd come to this town seeking out the owner of the scent that had plagued him for an entire year. It had haunted his every waking and sleeping moment. Now, after meeting the owner of that intoxicating scent, he was even more obsessed. But that didn't mean… It couldn't mean anything.

"You look lost." Shino looked up and glared at the fox standing beside his table. Kankuro had a cocky grin on his face as he took the seat opposite him. "Wolf troubles?"

Shino's eye twitched, but he didn't let the other know that his presence bothered him. This was the man that had once been in a relationship with his Kiba. That night at the pizzeria was still clear in his mind.

"_We use to date," Kankuro said._

"_Excuse me?" Shino growled._

"_It wasn't anything serious," Kankuro waved the issue aside. "We just hung out. Hell I think we only kissed like thre-" His words were silence by Shino reaching across the table and grabbing him. _

"_Unhand him," the low unfeeling voice cut Shino off from saying anything. _

_The larger wolf turned to see a pale man with black hair standing before them. His inky black eyes looked down on them with veiled anger. Shino slowly released Kankuro and sat back down. There was just something about this black fox that made him want to shiver. _

_The new fox walked up to Kankuro and smacked him upside the head, shocking Shino. "You can be a real idiot," Sai drawled. "Why are you picking a fight?"_

After that not much had happened. Kankuro and introduced his seemingly cold boyfriend, and apologized for possibly upsetting him. Still, Shino didn't like having the one that had some history with Kiba before him.

"Look, I told you Kiba's a tough nut to crack," Kankuro continued to talk as if he didn't sense the danger he was in. "He's just become more difficult to handle since his mate ran out of town a year ago."

Shino's eyes widened. "What?" he demanded.

Kankuro blinked. "Kiba's mate came through town a year ago, but the guy apparently didn't notice and left. He's been miserable ever since. Hell, the entire wolf pack is gunning for the guy's neck."

"Kiba… has a mate?" Shino whispered, shocked to his very core.

Kankuro frowned at him. "Dude, where did you grow up? Everyone has a mate. I mean just look at nearly all the couples here," he swept his arm around to indicate the café and the entire campus outside. "Heck, look at Kisame and Itachi, Kakashi and Iruka, Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama if you need proof of the existence of mates."

"I believe the phenomenon of finding ones other half exists," Shino snapped.

"Phenomenon? Is that what you call it," Kankuro laughed. "Well I call it a blessing."

Shino regarded the fox closely, then he remembered Sai and how he'd been almost territorial toward him. "You have a mate then," he finally said.

"Of course I do," Kankuro grinned. "Sai's wonderful. Hell, if I hadn't met him I'd probably still be with Kiba."

"That's enough," Shino snapped, startling Kankuro. "I don't care what you say, but if another word about Kiba passes your lips I'm going to break your jaw."

Kankuro's eyes widened as he gaped at the wolf. For a second Shino feared he'd gone too far, but just as he was going to apologize the large fox began to laugh. The earsplitting sound filled the room, causing others to turn and look at them. Shino bowed his head and apologized for the disturbance.

"Will you shut up," Shino growled menacingly.

"I'm sorry," Kankuro forced out between laughter. "But how can you say something so cold about mates when you yourself are," suddenly Kankuro stopped laughing. His eyes turned serious and a menacing air filled the area. "It's you."

Confused Shino asked, "Me what?"

"It's you," Kankuro repeated. "You're the one that's made him suffer!"

"What are you talking about?" Shino demanded.

"Okay, that's enough," Kisame walked over to them, cutting into their conversation. "Kankuro, I'm sure Sai's class just let out. Go find him."

"I don't take orders from you," Kankuro snapped. "And why would you protect this guy," he jabbed a finger in Shino's direction. "After everything he's done to Kiba."

"What are you talking about?" Shino repeated.

Kisame sighed. "Kiba has demanded no one interfere. For now we're going to agree to that. Besides, I doubt Shino's done this intentionally. Hell, I don't even think he's done it consciously."

Fed up with being left out of the conversation, Shino stood, and shouted, "What have I done?! What are you two talking about? What does this have to do with my Kiba?" Shino's eyes widened as he noticed how he'd called Kiba.

Kisame regarded him closely before releasing another sigh. "We're talking about you being mated to Kiba," he explained simply.

"What?" Shino gasped, his face growing pale as he sat back down. "I'm … with Kiba? That's not … I mean I don't even… how did… when," his thoughts were a mess making it impossible for a coherent thought to pass his lips.

"The fact you consider Kiba yours when all you've done is fight with him is proof enough," Kisame explained. "Though why he's being hostile to you now that your back I can't say."

"But, I," Shino was in shock. His mind was frozen and refused to process the information just given to him. "So, I'm the cause of that pain," he finally managed to whisper as he recalled the legend he'd been reading.

Kiba watch from across the café, tears shimmering in his eyes. He'd come in to get a sausage and egg biscuit when he'd spotted Kankuro, Kisame, and Shino talking. He hadn't expected that Shino knew nothing of what was going on. Sure he knew Shino didn't know they were mates, but never had he thought he knew so little. Kiba's tears fell once again.

The scent of fresh tears drew Shino's attention and he looked up. Kiba and Shino's eyes met. "Kiba," Shino whispered. Kiba turned, and ran. "Kiba, wait!" he shouted and gave chase. He didn't know how this happened, but he couldn't let him run off, not again.

_**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

**So, will things finally be cleared up between them? Or will things continue to be difficult? Find out in the next chapter.**

**Voice: Kiba's a bit OOC in this story.  
Me: That'll change soon.  
Voice: Oh?  
Me: Look, I promise we'll get cocky Kiba back soon. Just give me some time to get through this emotional stuff.  
Voice: If you say so, I'll trust you.  
Me: Gee, thanks.**

**Please Review.**

**Next Chapter: **_**Mirrored Sorrows**_


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